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NHL Draft: 5 Reasons To Fall In Love With Marco Rossi

By Nick Villano

PETERBOROUGH, ON - MARCH 14: Marco Rossi #23 of the Ottawa 67's skates against the Peterborough Petes during an OHL game at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on March 14, 2019 in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. The 67's defeated the Petes 3-2 in overtime. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
PETERBOROUGH, ON - MARCH 14: Marco Rossi #23 of the Ottawa 67's skates against the Peterborough Petes during an OHL game at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on March 14, 2019 in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. The 67's defeated the Petes 3-2 in overtime. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /
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Marco Rossi NHL Draft
Marco Rossi #23 of the Ottawa 67’s (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images) /

3. Rossi Stepped Up When It Mattered Most

Obviously, when it comes to prospects, looking at playoff stats might not matter as much. The matchups aren’t always the best for planning, and in a year that most leagues didn’t even have playoffs, it’s hard to judge. Still, Rossi was very good a year ago for the Ottawa 67s in his rookie OHL season. He scored 22 points in 17 playoff games, as he helped the 67s literally sweep their way to the finals, where they lost to the Guelph Storm.

In Game 1 of those finals, Rossi scored the fourth goal for the 67s, which stopped the Storm’s comeback attempt and led to a 7-2 route. He continued his clutch scoring this season. In February, in a battle between the two top teams in the league, Rossi ended up tying the game against the London Knights in the third period (Ottawa wasn’t able to finish the job, though).

The Devils have crumbled at times when they just need someone to step up. Taylor Hall‘s MVP season notwithstanding, they’ve had more games where a one-goal game turned into a three-goal loss in the third period than games where they put together a successful comeback. Having ice in his veins is going to be something the Devils absolutely love.

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